Kathy

Rick Waldroup

Veteran
Location
Texas
Kathy - Miami Beach - Summer, 1977

The camera was a Nikon F2 with a 50mm 1.4 lens. The film was Tri-X.

p65016171-5.jpg
 
I think digital could get a very similar look but with all the filter options available styles have shifted. The high contrast B&W look is definitely popular, but this shot really shows the difference between grain and noise. I've never really tried any of the digital filters that produce the grain effect.
 
Thanks to all for the comments.

I waited quite a while before I transitioned to digital capture. Mostly because 99.9% of my personal work is in B&W and I could not get the look I wanted with digital. Eventually, software improved, my digital processing skills improved a bit, and I finally made the move. I process my digital B&W images pretty much the way I worked in the darkroom- high contrast, dodging and burning, etc. I miss the grain look of film and I never add grain to my digital images. I let the chips fall where they may and if I push the ISO really high and noise becomes apparent, I try to make it work for me.

I really shoot and process almost the same way I did when shooting film.

By the way, I would marry Kathy that same year. We are still together.
 
In '77 I was shooting with a Minox III and Rollei 35, then later the Leica M4-2. Tri-X Pan looked more-or-less OK with 35 mm, but scary with the little Minox. So I got used to overshooting the film and shortening the development, and that combined with other controls turned out some memorable photos. But I switched to Ilford 200 ISO anyway, where I got a smoother look.
 
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